Exit, Stage Dead
(2025)(The third book in the Senior Snoop Society Mysteries series)
A novel by Magnolia Murdersworth
When the curtain rises on murder, three retirees steal the show...
When costume designer Rosemary Ruckus returns to the Albright Playhouse after decades away, she expects a nostalgic homecoming. Instead, she finds a theater in crisis after its director drops dead during rehearsal—supposedly from an allergic reaction. But Rosemary suspects there's more drama happening offstage than on it.
Joined by her friends Viola Kensington, a no-nonsense former socialite with a keen eye for detail, and Harriet Dunbar, a retired journalist reluctantly thrust into acting, Rosemary begins investigating the suspicious death. Together, they uncover a web of jealousy, obsession, and deadly secrets stretching back nearly fifty years to another mysterious death at the Albright.
As they search for a missing diary that could reveal the truth, strange incidents plague the theater—ghostly voices, vandalized costumes, and a near-fatal "accident" with a falling sandbag. Is someone trying to scare them away from the investigation? Or is there really a ghost haunting the Albright?
With opening night approaching, the Senior Snoop Society races to solve both murders before another cast member exits, stage dead. But when the spotlight turns on one of their own, these amateur sleuths will need all their combined wisdom, wit, and moxie to bring the curtain down on a killer who's waited decades for their final bow.
Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club, Carlene O'Connor, and Faith Martin, this character-driven mystery delivers sharp dialogue, theatrical flair, and three unforgettable protagonists who prove that retirement is anything but boring when you've got murders to solve.
Genre: Mystery
When costume designer Rosemary Ruckus returns to the Albright Playhouse after decades away, she expects a nostalgic homecoming. Instead, she finds a theater in crisis after its director drops dead during rehearsal—supposedly from an allergic reaction. But Rosemary suspects there's more drama happening offstage than on it.
Joined by her friends Viola Kensington, a no-nonsense former socialite with a keen eye for detail, and Harriet Dunbar, a retired journalist reluctantly thrust into acting, Rosemary begins investigating the suspicious death. Together, they uncover a web of jealousy, obsession, and deadly secrets stretching back nearly fifty years to another mysterious death at the Albright.
As they search for a missing diary that could reveal the truth, strange incidents plague the theater—ghostly voices, vandalized costumes, and a near-fatal "accident" with a falling sandbag. Is someone trying to scare them away from the investigation? Or is there really a ghost haunting the Albright?
With opening night approaching, the Senior Snoop Society races to solve both murders before another cast member exits, stage dead. But when the spotlight turns on one of their own, these amateur sleuths will need all their combined wisdom, wit, and moxie to bring the curtain down on a killer who's waited decades for their final bow.
Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club, Carlene O'Connor, and Faith Martin, this character-driven mystery delivers sharp dialogue, theatrical flair, and three unforgettable protagonists who prove that retirement is anything but boring when you've got murders to solve.
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Magnolia Murdersworth's Exit, Stage Dead